


Star Crossed

by hyperInactive



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, I LOVE SOULMATE AUS, No Voltron, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, but theres still galra and still a war, hunk/shay and shallura are background but still there, i dont know how else to tag this, i dont want to spoil anything?, lotta cursing, not that it really matters bc we all know who hes gonna end up with lmao, pidge curses like a sailor honestly, so much, theres a lot of jokes abt lance being gay but hes bi just fyi, this is so much longer than i expected it to be???
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 21:19:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10816959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyperInactive/pseuds/hyperInactive
Summary: Keith has known since he was born that he was an outcast, that he would never fit in with the Galra.  In fact, the only person that ever accepted him, that wasn't his mother, he had never met.  It was his soulmate, a boy that he could only communicate with through writing on his skin.Lance loved the idea of soulmates, he always had, and his own was no exception.  There was only one problem, Lance's soulmate....wasn't exactly human.Can the love of soulmates survive a war?





	Star Crossed

**Author's Note:**

> here it is!!!! part one of the massive fucking fic that has distracted me from all my other works.  
> this so far is 72 pages in googledocs. kill me.
> 
> 'oh this'll be shorter bc im not making it chaptered' - Past hyperInactive (fuck off past me)
> 
> anyway i really love this fic and i hope you guys do too!

_How’s your day?_

 

The words wrote themselves on Keith's arm, contrasting with the mottled purple skin. He smiled lightly, but quickly turned so his forearm was facing the desk, so no one saw the words. He resisted the urge to grab a pen and write back. If his superiors saw, then he’d never be able to talk to Lance again. His arm tingled again and he wanted to read what he wrote, but Sendak entered the room and he was forced to cross his arms obediently and listen. Lance would know why he didn't answer. Keith had told him what he was the first chance he got, and while it caused a bit of a hiccup in their friendship, it was ultimately the right thing to do. Keith was a fighter pilot for the Galra Empire, even though his father was human he grew up in the empire. Lance, Keith’s soulmate, was human. The Galra were currently waging war on Earth. Keith held no love for Earth, his father left after he was born and his mother died when he was three. His father was the only tie he had to Earth, before Lance came along.  In fact, the only reason he cared at all, the reason he didn't really want to fight, was because it was Lance's home.

 

Lance didn't know Keith was fighting in the war. He just knew he was Galra, but that was all he needed to know. It gave Keith the opportunity to explain why he never wrote back right away. It was hard to explain, since it required him to reveal that he was a hybrid, but Lance seemed to understand. Galra don't have soulmates. It's just not something that happens to them, they never have the writing on their skin. The pure blooded Galrans hate him enough for who he is, if they knew he had a soulmate on Earth, well, Keith doesn't know what they would do. They might kill him, they might force him to use Lance for information. Either way, it wouldn't be good.

All throughout the mission briefing, Keith's arm kept tingling. Lance knew to not write on any really visible skin, so he wasn't worried, but he still watched his arm carefully. He almost missed Sendak calling his name, which would have been bad. He wasn't surprised that he was out on another mission, he was the best fighter pilot the Galra had, but he didn't like fighting for the Galra. He would prefer to just run off and live in the desert, at least then it wouldn't be his fault that the Earth gets destroyed. Unfortunately, he can't just leave, since it's impossible to leave the compound without permission from Sendak or another commander. You need official papers, and Keith can't just get those on a whim. There needs to be a mission. He’s thought about just not coming back, but he finds himself landing in the hangar anyway, mission after mission. It was the only place he had ever known.

 

Keith got his new mission, another recon of the human’s Garrison Base, and returned to his room. Finally. He quickly shut the door behind him and unclenched his arm from his side.

 

_I know you probably can't respond right now_

_so i'm just gonna write because whatever you're doing can't be fun_

_or maybe it is idk what you galra get up to_

_anyway i've been good, tired but good_

_I hope you're okay_

_i mean, im sure you're fine bc you've always been fine_

_but i cant help but worry_

_you've said the other galra hate you and you never respond for hours, what's a soulmate to think?_

 

**_Im fine_** He wrote back, doodling a smile next to it. He got a bunch of exclamation points in reply.

 

_!!!!! and he returns!!!_

 

**_have i ever told you how comforting it is to feel you writing throughout the day?_ **

 

_only every day ;)_

_why do you think i keep doing it?_

_so what did you do today_

 

**_well i don't really want to go into detail_ **

 

_yeah yeah i know, you don't want me to worry/get involved in your galra stuff/hate you_

_Weve been over this_

_Just be vague_

 

**_I had a meeting, boss was a dick again_ **

**_And i got another assignment that I need to do_ **

 

_Another?_

_Man, what? You just had one_

 

**_Yeah this one is pretty easy though_ **

**_Just time consuming_ **

 

_Theres the bright side i keep telling you about Keith_

 

**_What about you?_ **

 

_Im going hiking tomorrow with my two roommates!_

_Were gonna watch the sunrise_

 

**_That sounds like fun_ **

 

_Yeah_

_I wish you could come_

 

**_Me too Lance_ **

 

_Why cant you just leave?  You could live with me_

 

**_We’ve had this discussion too_ **

**_I physically cant leave without permission_ **

**_Its bad enough im an outcast, i cant get caught trying to leave too_ **

**_Theyll label me a traitor and who knows whatll happen_ **

 

_…_

_I know_

_I just want to help you, you sound so unhappy there_

 

**_I am_ **

**_I want to be with you too_ **

 

_Aww keith you softie_

 

**_Don't push it_ **

 

_Haha okay_

_I need to sleep now, its early but i gotta get up at like 3_

 

**_Gotcha_ **

**_I’m doing my assignment tomorrow so I wont be able to write you till late, but have fun_ **

 

_Thanks_

_Gnight <3_

 

**_Good night lance <3_ **

 

Keith sighed and sat down on his bed.  His morning had been hectic, with a surprise pilot exam due to a crash the previous day (he had passed easily, thankfully, but the threat of death did always make him perform better), and then the meeting with Sendak was stressful.  Now the one time he had to talk to Lance, right before bed, was cut short too.  He took off his jacket and hung it up.  The one thing his father left behind, it was his prized possession second only to his mother’s knife.  He ran his hand through his hair.  It was days like this that he hated his life.  Why couldn't he be a hybrid, but with the humans?  They probably wouldn't treat him like this.  Lance didn't.  

 

Keith’s ears twitched as a knock sounded on his door.  He opened the slat, seeing a soldier standing there.  He was one of the ones who was civil to Keith, but Keith didn't remember his name.

 

“Hey, Kogane, your ship is scheduled for 0400, Dock 436.  Don’t be late.”

 

“Got it.” Keith said, sliding the slat shut again.  Then he walked to the adjoined bathroom and started to scrub the ink off his arm. As his skin cleared, he thought about what Lance had said. He often asked Keith to come live with him, even though he knew he couldn't, but tonight it felt different. Keith really, _really_ wanted to go find Lance. He needed to.

 

But he couldn't. He couldn't leave the Galra without putting Lance in danger, and Lance couldn't help him escape without Keith having to reveal that he was actively attacking the Earth. Lance would hate him. Keith bitterly dug his claws into his forearm, not hard enough to draw blood but enough to hurt. Every time he looked in a mirror he was reminded of what he was, and how he fit nowhere, how even in the only place he had ever known with the only people he'd known, he was hated.

 

He walked back to his bed, slowly, and lay back.

 

He dreamed of escaping, and finally hugging Lance as tight as he could.

 

* * *

 

Lance woke up at 3 am sharp to Pidge poking his face. He sat up groggily and stared at them.

 

“Did you sleep at all? How are you so awake right now?”

 

“Sleep is for the weak.” They answered, walking over and shaking Hunk awake gently. Lance scowled at Pidge, who smiled and just kept nudging Hunk. He sighed, he couldn't stay mad at the little gremlin forever. Then he reached over and grabbed the pen off his bedside table, jotting down his morning message to Keith.

 

_Good morning!! <3_

 

He smiled at his arm, ignoring the snicker from Pidge. He wished Keith was actually with him, rather than off somewhere in some alien compound, being hated by everyone. Lance will admit, he was anxious and nervous about having a half-galra as his soulmate. He doesn't know too much about Keith, what if the other Galra already found him out and are using him?  Those ‘assignments’ he kept getting straight up terrified Lance.  Some worst case scenarios have already ran through his mind, the products of all-nighters, too many energy drinks, and coming back from battles, and the most common was that everything was a lie. That _Keith_ was a lie. But Lance knew that wasn't true, he trusted Keith.

 

“Lance, let your boyfriend sleep and come get ready.” Hunk said, exiting the bathroom already despite having just woken up.  Lance flushed, but didn't correct him. The word ‘boyfriend’ sent a jolt through him. He ambled into the bathroom, completing his morning routine in a record half hour, and soon the trio were on their way.

 

By 5, the three were halfway up the mountain, and Lance’s forearm was covered in ink, descriptions of the mountain and plants in every available space. Every space that wouldn't get Keith caught, that is. Keith had said he was working on an assignment today, so Lance wasn't as worried as he normally was, but he constantly watched his arm for any new markings.

 

Suddenly, an almost silent buzz made its way over the mountain, causing the three to stop. That was a familiar sound.

 

“Galra!” Pidge hissed, crouching their small frame behind a rock. Lance and Hunk followed suit, watching as a Galra fighter flew overhead, high in the clouds.

 

“What are they doing here? Why is there just one?” Lance asked, watching as the ship, cloaked by the altitude and cloud cover, flew closer to the Garrison Base.

 

“Is it gonna attack? We can't warn them in time!” Hunk said.

 

“I….don't think it's attacking.” Pidge said, pointing to how the ship was now hovering. They knew from experience that the clouds above the Garrison could get too thick to see through, and so they doubted the Garrison knew the ship was there. It would be a few minutes before their scanners picked it up, and the only reason Lance and the others could see it now was because of how high up they were.

 

“What's it doing then?”

 

Pidge paused.

 

“I think it's just watching.”

 

Then the ship moved again, flying forward a bit and stopping again. Pidge’s eyes widened.

 

“It's avoiding the scanners!” They cried, “The Galra know that it takes a minute to break the clouds, so it's moving enough to throw it off!”

 

The implications of this set in. The Galra could fly right above the Garrison without them knowing. How many times had they done this? What information had they gotten? Lance’s hand moved to his arm, grasping at the words he had written. It was times like this, when he saw what the Galra were capable of, that he worried most about Keith.

 

“We need to get back, Iverson has to know this.” Lance said, looking regretfully at the top of the mountain. As fun as hiking is, and as much as he wanted to spend the rest of his day off relaxing, they had to tell the Garrison what the Galra were up to. As they stood up and began making their way back down, they kept watching the fighter plane. Lance was itching to grab his gun, but he couldn't take down the ship with just his pistol, and it would shoot him before he could do any real damage.

 

They stopped at the base of the mountain, bracing themselves to run for it, when the ship turned around and rocketed away, as silent as when it came. Lance watched it uneasily, it was only there for about an hour, would it be back?

 

When they reached the Garrison they walked straight to Iverson’s office. He didn't like the three of them, but he would believe them.

 

And believe them he did, immediately sending troops into the mountain to watch for more fighters, and to set up surveillance. Lance, Pidge, and Hunk were thanked and sent back to their dorms.  The Garrison would be on lockdown for a while.  

 

While the three of them were lounging in their dorm, Pidge repairing their drone, Hunk doing homework, and Lance daydreaming, the alarms rang several times. Since it was still their day off, they weren't required to answer the alarms, but it did put them on edge.  It meant that the plane was back.  

 

“Do you think it's the same pilot?” Lance asked, breaking the silence.  Pidge looked up.

 

“It would make sense to be.  Why switch pilots unless something happens to the first?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

They fell silent again.  Lance’s hand itched for a pen, as it always did throughout the day.  He knew Keith probably wouldn't be done yet, whatever the assignments he had to do were, they took a while.  But he gave in.

 

_Hey_

_I left hiking early_

_Something happened and we had to come back_

_Are you good?_

_I want to talk to you._

 

And he did.  He wanted to ask Keith about himself.  Now, Keith had made it clear from the beginning that he didn't really want Lance knowing details, but Lance was curious.  The Galra ship today had made it clear that the Galra know more about the humans’ tactics and tech than they thought, which means they are fully capable of winning this war, and Lance couldn’t die without understanding his soulmate.  Why did he grow up with the Galra if he was half human?  Did he consider the Galra his people?  Lance knew he didn't want the Earth destroyed, but if Lance didn't live there, would he feel differently? Is he even on Earth right now?  Or is he on some Galra ship or Galra-controlled planet?

           

He had wondered these questions for a while now, but now he had the courage and drive to get the answers.  He just had to wait for Keith.

           

The time came at approximately 8pm, when Lance shot across the room at the first sign of writing on his arm.

 

**_I’m back_ **

**_it seems like you had fun hiking, it sounds beautiful_ **

**_Why did you have to leave?_ **

**_And what did you want to talk about?_ **

 

Lance took a deep breath.

 

_Hey :)_

_Some idiot, also out on the mountain, decided to fucking attack a deer so_

_We all had to go back_

 

It left a sour taste in his mouth to lie to Keith, but he couldn't tell him he was fighting Galra. If Keith considered himself more Galra than human it might hurt him.

 

**_Oh wow_ **

**_Good job, whoever the fuck_ **

 

_Yeah, i know right_

_Anyway i did want to talk to you about serious stuff though_

 

_**Oh** _

**_Uh, okay?_ **

 

_Um…_

_Are you on Earth right now?_

 

_**What?** _

 

_I mean ive been thinking a lot about you and it came to me that you might not even be on earth so like, i just was curious and -_ Lance’s rambling was cut off by a scribble of black ink.

 

  **Lance its okay**

**Yes, Im on earth.**

 

_Okay.  good._

_Uhh...can you just...tell me a little about you?_

_I know that you didn't want to tell me a lot about you because of the fact that you live with galra_

_But youre my soulmate and i just have a lot of questions_

_Like the fact that i don't even know what you do_

_Are you a student? Do galra have schools?_

_**Im not a student, no** _

**_And i get what you mean.  I didn't want to make you hate me or anything, since i know that the galra are attacking your planet and_ ** **im _part galra_**

**_But i guess you have a right to know about me_ **

**_As long as you tell me about you too?_ **

 

_Yeah, of course_

 

_**What questions did you have?** _

 

_Oh, uh…_

_Do you...consider yourself a Galra?  Or a human?_

 

There was a long pause, and Lance started panicking.  He fucked up, Keith hates him.  Then the answer came.  

 

**_I guess i don't think if myself as either_ **

**_I mean, ive only really met one human and that was an accident_ **

**_And it didn't really end well because i don't know what happened to him after I heard footsteps and he ran away?_ **

**_But ive never thought of myself as galran either_ **

**_Now i get to ask something_ **

**_tell me about the roommates you keep mentioning_ **

 

_oh man hunk and pidge are the best_

_hunk (yeah it's a nickname, long boring story) is great with engineering and is the reason Pidge and I haven't starved to death honestly_

_we can't cook at all and he is a blessing from above_

_Pidge is super smart for their age, they're only 14, and they are a menace_

_i mean, they're great and i love them but they've reprogrammed my computer one too many times_

 

**_what's a 14 year old doing rooming with a 17 year old?_ **

 

_they were last minute and small, so they were shoved into a room._

_there aren't supposed to be three to a room either_

_What do you look like?_

 

**_?_ **

 

_i mean, i've seen galra_

_and i know what humans look like_

_but you're different. im curious_

 

**_well i'm tall, but short compared to full Galra_ **

 

_i bet i'm taller than you_

 

**_oh fuck off_ **

**_i have black hair? to my shoulders_ **

 

_Like a mullet?_

 

_**Uh, i don't think so?** _

**_What is that?_ **

 

_oh dude you totally have a mullet don't you. what the hell, i don't deserve this_

 

**_I don't even know what a mullet is! shut up_ **

 

_I can hear the sass from here, ‘shut up’ wow ive been rekt_

 

_**Youre an asshole** _

 

_I know_

_oh oh do you have big fluffy ears bc honestly while galra are dicks and i hate them, their ears can be adorable_

 

**_Wow_ **

**_but uh_ **

**_yeah i do_ **

 

_Aww_

 

_**Don't aww me, they get in the way when i brush my hair** _

**_My skin is the weird part_ **

**_Its part purple and part pale human skin_ **

 

_Cool!_

 

_**Its not cool to me** _

****

_What do your eyes look like?_

 

_**Theyre purple** _

**_They arent yellow like other galra, but the iris is a bright purple and they sometimes have flecks of yellow in them_ **

 

_Wow_

 

_**What do you look like?** _

 

_Well im sure im taller than you ;)_

_I should let you know that my hotness has been known to cause blindness_

 

_**I’ll keep that in mind** _

 

Lance grinned as he started describing himself to Keith.  He couldn’t stop imagining what he looked like, now that he had given Lance information.  The ears!  Lance wanted to meet Keith and see him in person, but this was good for now.  Lance glanced at his clock.  He had to be up somewhat early for border duty, but it was only 11.  Pidge and Hunk were asleep, they had already gotten their fill of teasing him.  He wasn't sure why they only teased him, Hunk and his soulmate were almost as bad.  

           

_So what do you think_

_Do i sound hot?_

 

_**Hmm** _

**_I think ill save that for when i can see you in person_ **

 

Lance flushed.

 

**_So did you have any other questions?_ **

 

_Yeah_

_Why did you grow up with galra if youre half human?_

 

**_well my mom was galran_ **

**_and she uh...she couldn't really leave_ **

**_she was kind of important?_ **

**_not in the sense that she made decisions but like, she had a lot of eyes on her_ **

**_i don't know what happened to my dad, but they thought my best chance was to have my mom raise me_ **

 

_what happened to her? is she still with you?_

 

**_No_ **

**_i don't really know. just one day she was there, the next i was told that she died._ **

 

_im sorry keith_

 

**_it's okay_ **

 

* * *

 

Keith wiped his eyes. Thinking about his mom always made him tear up. He never knew his dad, so he never felt emotional about him, but his mom had raised him until he was four. He still missed her, since it was only after she died that he was roped into the army.  She was a constant, and suddenly was ripped away from him.  He turned his attention back to his leg, where he and Lance had moved after their arms filled up.  Or rather, their arm, since Keith was not ambidextrous, unlike Lance (a fact that Lance had bragged about by writing on his right arm for a whole day after he found out Keith couldn’t).

 

_Hey_

_If you ever need to talk_

_Im here for you_

_Always_

 

**_I know_ **

**_Thank you_ **

 

_So…_

_Do you have any other questions for me?_

 

**_Tell me about your family_ **

 

_Oh man i have a huge family!!!_

_When we finally meet each other im bringing you to a family gathering so you can meet everyone at once_

_Mama would love you_

_And little Milo would climb on you so much_

_He would probably end up petting you too?_

_Bc hes really little and your ears would be like a cat to him_

_My abuela would be suspicious of you, she dotes on me, but shed warm up pretty fast_

_And then theres my sisters and my cousins_

_Not to mention my nieces and nephews_

_Oh!_

_And hunks family would be there too, since they are basically a part of our family_

_So there would be his moms and his sister_

 

**_Wow_ **

 

_You would never be alone_

_Not for a second_

 

**_That_ **

**_Sounds really nice_ **

 

_It is_

_I hope it happens soon_

 

**_Me too_ **

**_I really wish i could leave_ **

 

_Me too_

_I need to sleep now, this beauty is unfortunately not completely natural_

 

**_I figured_ **

**_Good night lance <3_ **

 

_Good night Keith <3_

 

Keith smiled and got up to wash the ink off him.  He didn't want to, he wanted to read about Lance’s family over and over again, but this writing was too visible.  His everyday uniform wouldn't cover it.  Even after it was gone, he caught himself staring at his leg, as if watching for another story about Lance’s cousins or his little brother.  He touched his ears self-consciously.  He guessed they were kinda like a cat.  He turned off his light and went to sleep, in much higher spirits than the previous night.  

 

It was a while before Keith had the chance to talk to Lance like he did that night.  For two weeks all they had time for was passing comments and saying good night.  Keith was a little restless.  Lance had never been too busy to talk to him before, was he alright?  Keith was busy too, Sendak had him running cargo in from space at top speeds so the humans couldn't track him.  The missions normally took all day, and once it stretched into the early morning.

 

And now, the one night Keith can sit down and talk to Lance for more than five minutes, _this_ happens.

 

_heyyyyyyy_

_i miss you_

_im really tired rn_

_im just_

_can't fuckn wriet rn fuck_

_but i wanna talk w u_

 

Lance’s writing was almost unreadably messy, scrawling on the underside of Keith's arm. He sighed.

 

**_lance go to sleep, you can't even spell, you need to sleep_ **

**_we can find time to talk later_ **

 

_nonono i gotta talk_

_im stresssed as hell and hunk and pigde are sleping_

 

**_fuck, lance just go to sleep_ **

 

_nOPE_

_ur stuck w me beuatifull_

_shit_

 

**_why are you this tired anyway?_ **

 

_i've been awake for liek 3 days??_

_idk man_

 

**_im sighing right now_ **

**_why, lance?_ **

 

_lmao not my choice_

_this is the first time i've been off my feet in days_

 

**_so_ ** **sleep**

 

_i ain't a quitter_

 

**_ok ill humor you_ **

**_why have you been awake for three days?_ **

 

_i've had assignments out the asssssss_

_i stg iversons tryin to kill me_

 

Keith paused, the tip of the pen pressing uncomfortably into his skin.  Did...did he just say Iverson?  Like Commander Iverson, one of the most well-known human fighters?  His heart started beating faster.

 

* * *

 

Lance was suddenly wide awake, his blood running cold in his veins.  He didn't just write that did he?  Unfortunately, the proof was still on his arm.   _Fuck_.  There was no way that Keith didn't know who Iverson was.  Lance held back a frustrated scream, banging his head against the wall.  Why did he let himself get so sleep deprived?  He never thinks things through when he’s like that.  His arm tingled, and he forced himself to look.

 

**_…_ **

**_Iverson?_ **

 

Could he play this off?  No, Keith was too smart for that.  

 

_Fuck_

_Shit uh,_

_Can you forget that happened?_

 

Lance winced at himself.  Yep he definitely nailed it, that’s so casual.

 

**_As much as I’d like to, i cant_ **

**_Where are you that you see Commander Iverson?_ **

 

He sighed.  This was bound to come up sooner or later.

 

_Um_

_Promise you wont like, hate me or something?_

 

**_I think that's impossible, but sure._ **

**_I promise_ **

 

_Im in the Galaxy Garrison Base_

_Im a part of the resistance army_

 

Lance told himself that Keith wouldn't hate him.  He didn't feel any real connection with the Galra, it would be fine.  Right?

 

* * *

           

Keith was staring at his arm in shock.  Lance...was in the army?  Fighting the Galra?   _While Keith was on the other fucking side of the war????_ His heart may have stopped at some point, he wasn't sure, but his breathing was erratic.  Had he seen Lance on the battlefield?  Sure, Keith was mainly in a plane, they didn't want the enemy to see a hybrid fighting among them, but occasionally he did go in on the front lines.  What if...what if he had hurt Lance?  He couldn't live with himself if one of the humans he had hit was Lance.

 

**_Oh_ **

 

_I mean like, im rarely in battle_

_Im a sniper?  I guess?  So you don't have to worry about me or anything!_

_I just, didn't want you to hate me because im fighting Galra_

 

_**No of course i don't hate you, its understandable for you to want to fight them** _

**_I just_ **

****

Keith didn't know how to say it.  

 

_What?_

_**Can i tell you a story?** _

 

_Ok?_

 

_**When I was a kid, my mother was the only Galra I was in contact with.  She managed to convince the higher-ups to let me live, but she had to keep me in the room at all times.  I’m not sure what other concessions she made, but now that im older i think i can figure some out.  Anyway, my mother was the most decorated and most skilled fighter pilot in the Galra army.  She was away on tons of missions, but she was always happy when she came back.  Then, when I was three, you first wrote to me.** _

 

_I remember that_

_Didn't I just doodle a smiley face on my wrist?_

 

_**Yeah, it was adorable** _

**_That led to my mom giving me a talk about how I couldnt show the markings to anyone, ever.  Ive told you about that conversation.  That was only a year before she died.  She had a mission, I don't know what it was, but she never came back.  They didn't even have her body.  I knew the other Galra hated me, but it really sunk in when they didn't even let me grieve.  The next day I got a knock on the door, and was dragged to a classroom on the base.  They said that since she was gone, I had to take her place._ **

 

_Oh_

 

_**You can probably tell where this is going** _

**_I was a kid, determined to make them like me by doing whatever they asked as best I could.  By six, I was acing the simulators, and by eight I was flying cargo missions to and from space.  By the time I was twelve, I was fighter class and was the best in the whole army._ **

 

_So…_

_Youre fighting with the Galra_

 

_**Trust me, I don't believe in their methods or their goals.  Its literally what I was raised to do.** _

**_You can hate me if you want to_ **

**_I’d understand._ **

 

_What??_

_No no, fuck no i don't hate you!!_

_if anything, that makes me hate them more_

_Im just..a little in shock_

 

**_me too_ **

 

Keith let himself smile a little. Lance didn't hate him.  He hadn't lost the one constant person in his life since his mother that he…

 

That he loved.

 

He loved Lance. That wasn't really a surprise, since he _was_ Keith's soulmate, but this was the first time he had thought it.

 

_So i guess we don't have to be as coy about the ‘assignments’ we've been getting?_

 

**_i guess not_ **

**_what did you do the past couple days that had you so tired earlier?_ **

****

_Iverson has been giving Pidge, Hunk and I border patrol for a straight week. Normally that would be okay, except securities been amped the fuck up so we go out at like 3 and don't get back till midnight. It's just the buildup._

 

**_shit, he sounds like an asshole_ **

 

_he is_

 

**_ok i ask again: what is a 14 year old doing there?_ **

 

_They don't actually know that Pidge is 14. They forged their papers (including a birth certificate) and enrolled to find their brother, who was taken prisoner.  While they still haven't found him, they're working towards asking iverson for permission to go look for him_

 

**_their brother is a prisoner?_ **

 

_oh shit i forgot, you might know that stuff_

 

**_i mean, i can't guarantee it but i might. I haven't been down to the prisoner bay in a year or so though, it kinda makes me feel sick_ **

 

_that's understandable_

_His name is Matt Holt?_

**_the name doesn't sound familiar, but i'll keep an eye out for him_ **

 

_Pidge will be happy about that_

 

**_Hey, Lance?_ **

 

_yeah?_

 

**_thank you._ **

 

_for what?_

 

**_For...understanding_ **

**_for not hating me_ **

**_for still being there_ **

 

_it's no problem, i want to be there for you_

_ill always be there for you_

 

He doodled a heart next to that, and Keith couldn't help his small laugh. The two of them had covered every available inch of skin that night, currently squeezing their conversation onto their feet. Keith, although he was miles and miles away, could practically feel how tired Lance still was. He grinned at the writing, imagining that he was grinning at his idiot of a soulmate.

           

**_also: go to sleep_ **

 

_see i would argue, but im falling asleep anyway sooooo_

_goodnight Keith <3 _

 

**_Goodnight Lance <3_ **

 

Keith waited a few minutes until he was decently sure Lance was asleep, before he washed the ink off his body and picked up his pen again. He rested it on his inner forearm, where Lance would see it when he woke up.

           

**_i love you_ **

 

* * *

 

Lance slept deeply that night, so deeply that his alarm didn't wake him in the morning. In fact, he didn't wake up until Pidge started screaming into his ear.

 

“Pidge what the fuck??? Do you want to give me a heart attack?” He said, clutching his chest. They grinned and merely pointed at his arm. He expected it to be blank, he had managed to remember to wash everything off before he fell face first onto his bed, but it wasn't. In small, cramped writing, Keith had written ‘ ** _I love you_** ’. Lance’s face went red and Pidge cackled.

 

“Is this the first time that's been said?” They asked, and when Lance nodded they just laughed harder.

 

“Man, you are _so_ gay.”

 

Lance groaned.

 

“Hunk! Tell Pidge I’m not _that_ gay!” He called, and Hunk turned to him, raising an eyebrow.

 

“What, you want me to lie to them?”

 

“I hate you.”

 

“You wanna say that to the french toast that the cafeteria ladies let me make?”

 

“ _Hunk I love you_.” Lance amended, rocketing over to hug him.

 

“I thought so. Hey, so since we finally have a day off today, do you want to come with me to go see Shay?”

 

“I'm always up for making fun of you in front of your girlfriend.” Pidge said, and Hunk held up a hand.

 

“Offer rescinded. Lance?”

 

“Of course buddy!”

           

Pidge shrugged.

 

“I'll just hide in the trunk.”

 

It was in the car on the way to Shay’s that Lance remembered what he and Keith had talked about last night. Now, did it scare him that he was fighting against Keith? Abso-fuckin-lutely. Was he afraid of Keith? Not in the slightest. He knew that Galra weren't born with hatred in their hearts. Not only was Keith proof of that, but there was a Galra soldier working for the Garrison that had escaped and turned to the human side. Then there was Shiro, who said that a Galra helped him escape his imprisonment.

 

“Hey guys?” He said, lowering the volume of the music playing. They watched him, Pidge leaning forward from the backseat. “You know how Keith is half Galra?”

 

“Yeah, why? Did something happen?” Hunk asked.

 

“Kind of?  Last night, I accidentally let slip that I was with the Garrison, and while he was fine with it, he told me something in return. He...he’s fighting for the Galra.”

 

“You mean...have we fought against him?” Pidge asked.

           

“Probably not, he said that he's a fighter pilot, but he still could have been in battles where we were.”

 

Hunk glanced over at Lance.

 

“Lance, your _job_ is to shoot down those planes.”

 

Lance sighed. He was trying not to think about that. Most battles, while Pidge went in with the later rounds of fighters, Hunk and Lance stayed back. Hunk focused on the ground fighters, while Lance sniped down the planes from the roof of the Garrison. What would he do next battle, when all he would think about was Keith in those planes?  He changed the subject.

 

“Also, Pidge, he said that he would keep an eye and an ear out for Matt.”

 

Pidge immediately perked up.

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah.  He didn’t recognize the name but he said he’d check around.”

 

The rest of the drive was silent, Hunk focusing on driving, and Pidge thinking hard about what they had been told.  Lance was watching out the window and hoping that he wouldn't choke the next time he needed to bring down a fighter jet.

 

* * *

 

Keith had been wondering how he could find Pidge's brother for them, but he never thought of this. Either his luck today was fantastic, or it was all going to go to shit very quickly.

 

“Sir, I haven't interrogated a prisoner in two years.” He said, staring Sendak in the eyes.

 

“I know that, Kogane. However, everyone else has their own missions.  Now get down to the prisoner bay and do what you need to do. No one can get this prisoner to talk, so maybe seeing someone as fucked up as you will loosen his tongue.”

 

Keith nodded, taking the insult with a straight face. He was used to it.  As Sendak strode off, he glanced down at the file in his hands, something numb in between shock and apprehension settling in his stomach. The name printed next to the prisoner number was Matthew Holt.

 

He opened the file, skimming through it, and the more he read the more impressed he was. Matt was one of the chief communication officers at the Garrison, the only comms worker that high up that had been captured. That explained why he wasn't dead. The Empire needed him to talk, needed him to spill the secrets that made the Garrison such a stronghold. So far, the Galra knew how their security worked, the guard schedules, and the layout, but if Matt talked, then they could wreck the Garrison completely.

 

Keith was a little nervous that the day after he found out about Matt he was instructed to interrogate him, but he decided to leave well enough alone.  Maybe the universe had finally decided to help him out a bit. Whatever the cause, this was his one shot. He was helping Matt break out. There were no cameras in the interrogation rooms, they didn't want what went on in there on record, and so Keith could talk freely.

 

He walked briskly to the elevator, squeezing himself in. On one hand, everyone watched Keith due to his heritage, on the other, they all ignored him because they thought he was lower than them. As he stared at the Master Key hanging from the belt of one of the officials in front of him, he was glad no one here was monitoring him. He snatched it right as the doors opened, and slipped it into his pocket. That key opened most doors on the base, and since lower level soldiers don't have it, it would bring less suspicion onto Keith if his plan worked.

 

He opened the door to the interrogation room, revealing a young man strapped to the chair. Blood was dried on the side of his head, slicking his long brown hair to his scalp, and his clothes were covered in it. Keith felt a little sick, this was one thing he truly hated about the Empire.  He closed the door behind him, relaxing as he heard the click that meant it was now soundproof.

 

“What the fuck are you gonna do to me? I'm not talking.” Matt spat, glaring at Keith. As Keith walked towards him, the light shone on him and Matt’s eyes widened.

 

“What _are_ you?” He asked.

 

“That a bit of a rude question to ask the one that's gonna get you back to your sibling.” Keith responded. Internally, he was wincing, because that did not sound like something an ally would say. Matt’s eyes narrowed again.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean,” Keith said, sighing, “I want to help you get out of here.”

 

“Why should I trust you?”

 

“Because as you can see, I'm not fully accepted here either. Do you think the Galra want everyone to know that they have a Galra/human hybrid in their army?  I know that the Empire is terrible, and I _also_ know that Pidge is searching for you.” Keith said, voice raising. He just dropped two bombshells in one sentence, but from the look on Matt’s face he only focused on the second one.

           

“Pidge? How the hell have you spoken to them?” Matt exclaimed, still watching Keith warily.

 

“Let's just say we have a mutual friend. That's all I'd like to say. Now do you want my help or not?”

 

“...Yes.”

 

“Okay. Here's the plan.”

 

Keith explained what he had thought of. He would give Matt the Master Key, hidden in his sleeve, and then loosen the bonds so that they looked tight but were easily broken. Then, after Keith faked an interrogation and left, Matt would wait. Keith explained the layout of the base, and the way to the escape pods, so once another Galra came into the room and left, Matt would use the key and leave. He had to wait so as to not make Keith the prime suspect. Keith told him the guard schedules so that he could get out without fighting, but Matt had to be fast before the security drones saw him.

 

“Just in case, can you fight?” Keith asked, and Matt looked down.

 

“Maybe?  I used to be able to, I'd prefer to not have to test it though.”

 

“Understandable.  Do you think you get it?”

 

“Yeah. I've got it.”

 

A silence settled in the room.

 

“What's your name?” Matt asked.

           

“Why?”

 

“I don't know, I'm just curious.  You know mine.”

 

“Keith.” He said.

 

“Thank you Keith.”

 

Keith frowned.

 

“Don't thank me now, you aren't free yet.  Now I'm going to have to draw a little blood in order to make the ‘interrogation’ believable, is that okay?”

 

Matt shrugged.

 

“I've had worse in the past two years. It's fine.”

 

There weren't many things Keith hated more than having to hurt Matt Holt like that. He shuddered to think what he would have done if he wasn't going to help him escape, if he had no emotional ties to hurting him.

 

He turned to leave the room, blood on his knuckles and uniform, and looked regretfully back at Matt, who now had the Master Key hidden in his hands.

 

“Good luck Matt.  I can't do much more for you, but I hope you make it back to Pidge.” He said, and Matt smiled ruefully.

 

“I will. Thank you.”

 

As he reported back to Sendak, stating that Matt definitely knows something but still refuses to talk, the blood on his skin burned.  He had hurt humans before, in battle, even killed some, but he had never had a conversation with one face to face.  Well...unless you count that other time as a conversation, which Keith didn't really.  Now, after he had learned more about Lance, Pidge, Hunk, and even Matt in the past couple days, he couldn't imagine spilling any more of their blood.  Not for the Galra cause.  

 

And so that night, when alarms began blaring throughout the base and soldiers were mumbling about an escaped prisoner, Keith ran along trying hard to conceal a smile.

 

* * *

 

While Hunk was hanging out with Shay, Lance and Pidge had decided to take a walk in the countryside by her house. They hadn't had much time to relax since all the guard duty, and so it was nice to wander around through the trees.  

 

“So, Keith is gonna try to find Matt?” Pidge asked, breaking the comfortable silence.  

 

“Yeah.”  Lance said. “He didn't recognize the name but he promised to look.”

 

They were silent for a second.

 

“Do you think he’ll find him?”  They said softly.  Lance put his arm around their shoulders.  

 

“I don't know.  But he might have more luck than you ever would.”

 

“Yeah.  I just...I really miss him.  He’s been gone for almost two years now, and even Shiro came back after a year.”

 

“Yeah.  I know.  Shiro had help too though.”

 

“But what if-” They started.  Lance cut them off.

 

“-No.  Stop thinking in what if’s, you’re gonna kill yourself with worry.” He said, clutching them closer.  They looked around, face sad for a moment, before it brightened with a small smile.

 

“You know what this place reminds me of?” They said.

 

“What?”

 

“The time when I realized I had allergies because Matt was carrying me and dropped me into a patch of flowers.  Pollen got everywhere, I was sneezing for almost an hour straight.” They grinned a little wider.  Lance laughed.

 

“It was all worth it though, because watching him get chewed out by mom was wonderful.  I got him back too.”

 

“How?”

 

“He’s allergic to cats, and so I volunteered at the local shelter to brush the cats and I kept all the hair.  I snuck it into his pillow.”

 

“So you were always a little menace.” Lance said, ruffling their hair.

 

“Yeah pretty much.  It took him a week to find the hair.”

 

“Oh my god, Pidge.”

 

“I know.” They smiled proudly. “It was one of my greatest moments.”

 

Lance thought for a second.  He had never met Matt before, only heard the occasional story from Pidge and sometimes Shiro.  The two were on a mission together when they were captured.

 

“What is Matt like?” He asked, surprised when Pidge laughed shortly and looked up at him, eyes bright.

 

“What?” He said.  Pidge hugged him, hard.

 

“Just...you used ‘is’ and not ‘was’.” They mumbled into his chest.

 

“Well of course, he’s not dead.”

 

“I know, but some of the other Garrison soldiers talk about him like he is.”

 

“Well they’re idiots.  I don’t know Matt, but I know you and you wouldn't go down easily.  So?  What is he like?  I want to know what to expect.”

 

“He’s a fucking nerd.”  Pidge said, shaking their head.  “Like, Shiro can be nerdy, but Matt is a _nerd_.  He’s all about science, and he’s the one who taught me how to hack.  He acted betrayed when I got better than him, but he was actually really proud.  He can lecture for hours about how a certain plant works or the composition of ice on one of the moons of Pluto.  Yet you put him in front of an actual human to have an actual conversation and he just shuts the fuck down.  One time, the pick-up line he chose to use on this girl was ‘you’re so hot, you denature my proteins’.”

 

“Oh no.  Even my worst pickup line is better than that.” Lance said.  Pidge nodded in agreement.   Lance prided himself on his pickup lines.  Even though they were almost exclusively used as jokes on his friends, he had a whole repertoire of them.  

 

“Then there was the time that he threw a french fry at someone because they insulted Shiro, and told them to fight him.  He would have died if they did.  Like, Matt was strong, he had to be since he was in the Garrison, but this guy’s six packs had six packs.  Matt didn't stand a chance.   Oh!  There’s also the time when he got sick but refused to stop going to classes, and he spread the flu to the entire class.   _And_ the time that he rewired all our neighbors’ appliances during a house party so their timers never worked right and their temperatures burned everything just slightly enough that you couldn’t tell it was burnt until you ate it.  He did that because they refused to stop calling me by the wrong pronouns.”

 

“He sounds like a great guy.  I can't wait to meet him.”  Lance said.  Pidge snorted.

 

“Yeah, he is a great guy, he's also an idiot.  I don't even want to think about the amount of injuries he’s gotten from tripping over absolutely nothing and slamming his face into the ground. I have _so_ much more dirt on him than I do you, and I have a shit ton of blackmail for you.”

 

“What blackmail?”  

 

“You think I haven't noticed the fact that you spend more money on face cream than you do food, supplies, and basically anything else combined?  Or that despite acting so cool, your computer password is a meme?”

  
“How do you know my- never mind.”  Lance stopped mid-protest.  There was no point in wondering how Pidge knew these things.  

 

They kept talking about their families as they headed back to Shay’s house.  Hunk and Shay had first started talking around five years old, but they only met when they were sixteen.  They rarely had long conversations on their arms anymore, since Shay lived decently close to the base, but it wasn't uncommon to see Hunk doodling little hearts on his hands throughout the day.  

 

While they were piling back into the car when it started getting late, Lance felt his arm tingle.  When he read it, he narrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

 

**_So…_ **

**_Something might happen tomorrow that you’ll like_ **

**_Don't quote me on it, but i have a good feeling_ **

 

Lance forced himself to wait until they got back into their dorm to write back, but he was thinking about it the whole ride.  

 

_What?_

_Whats gonna happen tomorrow?_

 

**_I don't want to give it away_ **

**_If it happens then itll be a great surprise and youll know immediately what I was talking about_ **

 

_...okay?_

 

**_Just trust me_ **

**_How was your day?_ **

 

_It was great_

_Pidge and I went with Hunk down to see his soulmate_

_We wandered around and talked a lot while they hung out_

_What about you_

 

_**My day was actually pretty decent** _

**_I only had to do one thing, and while I hated doing it i managed to make it good._ **

**_It has something to do with what may or may not happen tomorrow_ **

 

_Okay youve got me really curious now_

_So im gonna go to sleep so I can wake up sooner_

 

_Good Night <3_

 

_**You do that** _

**_Good night Lance <3_ **

 

* * *

 

Keith didn't sleep much that night.  While yes, he hadn't hurt Matt that much and it was mainly for making him look like he had been hurt, Keith felt bad.  The blood had long since been washed off, but he could still feel it.  The only consolation was at least Matt had made it off the base.  He hoped he made it to the Garrison okay, and saw Pidge again.  

 

He closed his eyes, trying again to sleep, but the only thing he saw was Matt’s terrified face trying to look brave as Keith first entered the room.  He could only imagine how Matt felt, how he had felt over the last _two years_ that he had been a prisoner.  He wanted to free every prisoner on this base, but he knew he couldn't.  Not if he ever wanted to get out himself.  

 

And he did.  He desperately wanted to leave.  It had started when Lance began talking to him more a few years ago, then he met that first human, and then he found out Lance was fighting, and now Matt.  All these little moments that added up to Keith utterly despising the Galra Empire, instead of just being indifferent towards either cause.  The few humans he had met/spoken to, a total of three, had all accepted him and treated him as somewhat normal, or at least not some deformed reject that they could boss around.  

 

He wanted to leave. He wanted to fight for the humans instead, no more running off to the desert.  He just needed a way to escape.

 

* * *

 

Lance, Pidge, and Hunk all had border duty again the next day, but Lance was practically bouncing off the walls.  He couldn't focus on his breakfast, and almost forgot to do his morning routine.   _Almost_ being the operative word.  No matter how excited/anxious he was, his skin couldn’t suffer.  Throughout it, though, his inner monologue was all about his curiosity.  What had Keith meant??  Something might happen today?

 

Hunk had to practically shove Lance’s gun in his hands as they walked out to the fences.  All border duty was was walking around and keeping an eye and an ear out for anything off.  It was incredibly boring, the Galra hadn’t directly attacked the base in almost a month.  It was a lot of just staring at the landscapes and waiting for either something to happen or a break to be sounded.  

 

Today, as Keith had said, it was the former.

 

They had been out for about four hours already, when Lance felt something.  It wasn't on his skin, just a feeling that something was off.  He flipped the safety off his gun, and walked cautiously, watching.  Then he saw it.  A shape off in the distance, too small to be an army or a ship.  Pidge and Hunk flanked him.

 

“What is that?”  Pidge asked.  Lance frowned.

 

“Do you think it's a diversion?”  He said.  He squinted to see farther, but the shape was too far away.  As they waited, it got closer, revealing itself to be a person.  They were walking funny.  

 

Lance leveled his gun on his shoulder, peering through the sight.  Then he was violently shoved to the side as Pidge gasped and threw their weapon and helmet off, sprinting towards the figure.  When they got close enough, they tackled whoever it was to the ground, and Hunk and Lance could hear them laughing from back at the fence.  Lance lowered his gun and walked out, stopping when he got close enough to see the person's face.  Pidge was clutching him close, and both of them were crying heavily.  Lance looked between the two.  They were almost identical, except the older boy had longer hair and no glasses.  

 

“I can’t believe you’re here, you’re okay!”  Pidge whispered, hugging tighter.  The boy hugged back, but Lance noticed him wince slightly.  

 

“I can’t really believe it either, honestly!” He said, a grin still on his face as he stood up, Pidge clambering to sit on his shoulders.  They were beaming.  

 

“Guys, can you believe it??” They said, addressing Hunk and Lance.  “Matt escaped!!”

 

Lance felt a smile on his own face.  So this was Matt Holt.  Just watching the two together made him happy, they were so excited to be together again.  Matt started to walk forward, but his leg buckled as he took a step.  Pidge immediately jumped off his shoulders and propped him against their own body.  

 

“Are you hurt badly?”  They asked, and Matt shrugged.  There was blood on his face and clothes, cuts and scratches all over, but nothing too terrible.  

 

“I got hurt worse at the beginning of my time in prison, near the end it was little tedious wounds to try a different tactic to get me to talk.  I was lucky the other prisoners were nice and bandaged my wounds, especially in the first week or so.  I think my leg is broken though.  The escape pod I stole crashed, and I haven't been able to walk right since.” Matt said, as Pidge helped him walk.  He turned to look at them, then.

 

“Why are you even here?  You aren't of age yet.”

 

Pidge grinned again, this one bordering on maniacal.

 

“Says the one who taught me how to forge documents.  I enrolled to find you.”  They answered.  Matt grinned and laughed, ruffling Pidge’s hair.  

 

“Thanks Pidge.  I missed you.”

 

“I missed you too.”  

 

They looked at Hunk and Lance then, realizing that they felt slightly out of place.

 

“Oh, Matt, these are my roommates.  Hunk, Lance, this is my brother Matt.”

 

“It’s great to meet you, I’ve heard a lot about you.”  Lance said as he shook Matt's hand.  He rolled his eyes.

 

“I’m sure you have.  It’s good to meet you too.  Thanks for taking care of them.”

 

Pidge brightened even more, if that was possible, and started hurrying Matt along.

 

“Matt! C’mon, you have to say hi to Shiro, he’s gonna be so happy to see you!”

           

“What? Shiro escaped?” Matt asked. Pidge nodded.

 

“Yeah, he came back about a year ago, you can ask him about it.”

 

The four of them walked back to the Garrison, smiling brightly.  Lance hadn’t seen Pidge this happy, ever, and their smile was infectious.  They marched Matt right inside, and everyone stopped and stared as they walked past.  There were whispers, people saying his name, but they didn't acknowledge anyone until they practically kicked down the door to Iverson’s office.  

 

“What is the meaning of-” He said, cutting himself off as he registered the face in front of him.  

 

“Officer Holt?” He questioned.  Matt nodded.

 

“The one and only.” He answered, ignoring the elbow poke of the _other_ Officer Holt standing next to him.  As Iverson stared, his hand moved to the intercom button on his desk.

 

“Lieutenant Commander Takashi Shirogane report to Commander Iverson’s office immediately.” He said, as he sat back down in his chair.

 

“How did you escape?” He asked.  Matt pursed his lips.

 

“All due respect, I’d like to wait for Shiro.” He said, and Iverson _laughed,_ to the complete shock of the other three in the room.

 

“After what you’ve been through, I don't care if you have due respect.” He replied.  At that moment, the door opened again, and Shiro entered.  His gaze first went to Iverson, but as he was about to ask what was wrong, it fell on Matt.  Time seemed to stop, as it did when Pidge had started running to him.  The next moment, Shiro was hugging Matt tightly.  

 

“How?” Was all he said as he pulled back, and Matt moved to the chair to sit down.  It was then that the others noticed his injuries.  Lance watched as Shiro tilted Matt’s head to check his wound, and as Matt laughed and pushed him away.  

 

“I’m fine Shiro, I’m fine enough to tell you my story.”

 

“Okay, but then you’re going to the infirmary.” Shiro insisted.  Pidge leaned on the back of their brother’s chair.  

 

“Don’t worry Shiro, that was already my plan.” They said, patting Matt lightly on the head.  Shiro grinned at them.  

 

“So, how did you escape?”

 

Matt crossed his arms.

           

“Well for starters, I had help.  I definitely couldn't have gotten out of there alone.” He said, and Shiro nodded.

 

“Someone helped me too.”

 

Matt pondered something for a second, and then spoke.

 

“I was about to be interrogated again, they had begun trying to get secrets out of me again about two weeks ago.  I didn't tell them anything, and you could tell they were getting frustrated.  Somehow, they must have known I knew a lot, otherwise I would have been killed a long time ago. They kept sending in new guys to torture me,” He paused slightly, balking at the pained expressions on Pidge and Shiro’s face at the mention of torture, “but it wasn't the kind of torture you’d expect.  They did that kind of stuff my first few months of interrogation, back when I was first captured.  This stuff was all small wounds, but a lot of them.  Kinda like Chinese water torture, but with cuts.  Yesterday though, the Galra that came in was different.  He...looked weird.”

 

“How so?” Pidge cut in.

 

“His skin was all weird, it wasn't entirely purple.  Anyway, he started talking to me instead of interrogating me.  He said that he wanted to help me escape.  He uh…” Matt glanced at Pidge, “He said that you were looking for me.”

 

“What?” Pidge asked, shock written all over their face.  In fact, everyone was shocked, but Lance was slowly starting to understand what was going on.  

 

“Yeah, he said you had a mutual friend?  That was all he would tell me.”

 

“Okay, we can discuss this...friend, later.  What happened then?”  Pidge said, watching Lance from the corner of their eye.  It seemed like they were coming to the same conclusion that Lance was.  

 

“That's really most of the story.  He snuck me a key that opened most doors in the base I was in, loosened by bonds, and told me the layout and the guard schedules.  Then he told me to wait until night and run as fast as I could.”

 

“This...Galra.  Did he tell you his name?” Lance asked.  His heart was beating out of his chest, and he hoped that the next words Matt said were what he thought they were going to be.  

 

“Yeah.  He said his name was Keith.”

 

Lance just about fainted right then and there.  As it was, he stumbled into Hunk, who caught him.  It was Keith.  He had done it, he had found Matt and helped him escape.  All for Lance, for Lance’s best friend that he had only heard stories about.  That was it, that was the last straw.  Lance was so goddamn in love with that Galra boy.  

 

Everyone was staring at him now, and he decided that it was time to spill the beans.  

 

“Lance?  What’s wrong?” Shiro asked.  Lance grinned apologetically.

 

“Nothing, I’m fine.  Just...funny story, that Galra is my soulmate.” He said, holding up his arm that still had his conversation from the previous day. Hunk and Pidge were barely phased, having suffered through Lance’s ramblings about Keith before, but Shiro, Matt, and Commander Iverson were staring at him in shock.

 

“What?  Why is this the first time I’m hearing about this?” Iverson demanded, face starting to turn red. Shiro placed a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Commander, calm down. Lance was probably just scared.”

 

Damn right he was. He crossed his arms again and leaned against the doorframe.

 

“Yeah. I didn't know what would happen if it got out that my soulmate was half Galra, but-”

 

“-did you say half Galra?” Shiro interrupted. Matt nodded.

           

“Yeah, he mentioned something while we were talking about being a hybrid.”

 

“He promised to keep an eye out for you, but I didn't expect him to actually find you.” Lance said.

 

“So...your soulmate is a half Galra hybrid that is currently _with_ the Galra.” Iverson clarified. Lance made the ‘eh’ gesture with his hand.

 

“With them physically, yes. But he isn't really accepted there at all, kinda hated really, and he doesn't agree with what they're doing.”

 

“He did free me.” Matt chimed in.

 

“I think he helped me too.” Shiro mused. “I remember that after I escaped I got lost in the compound, and I ran into a Galra that looked kinda like what you described. He seemed more shocked to see me than anything, and so I asked him the way to the escape pods and he pointed me in the right direction.”

 

Lance smiled. Even before Lance started telling him more and more about human life, Keith was helping the ones he was expected to hate.

 

“So what, we just trust this Galra when the only contact we have is a soulmate connection?” Iverson asked. Lance was only a little surprised when everyone else in the room nodded.

 

“We’ve heard all about Keith from Lance, he seems trustworthy.” Hunk said.

 

“And he did help Matt and I escape.” Shiro added.

 

Iverson frowned but didn't argue.

 

“Can Keith help with anything else?” Shiro asked then. Lance hesitated.

 

“I...don't know. He's under a lot of surveillance already, it would be hard for him. Helping Matt out probably means he’ll have to lie low for a while.”

 

“Ok so I think that’s enough excitement for one day, we can discuss this more later.  Matt, I’m taking you to the infirmary.”  Pidge said, grabbing their brother’s arm.  They maneuvered around the cut on his bicep and carefully dragged him out of the room, ignoring his sighs.  Shiro laughed and followed.  Lance was left alone with Hunk and Commander Iverson.  Sure, he was nervous.  There was a reason he didn't tell Iverson his soulmate was Galra, after all.  They were silent for a while.  

 

“Officer McClain, this is information that I should have been made aware of immediately.”  Iverson said.  Lance took a deep breath.

 

“Sir, I apologize for not telling you when I found out, but Keith’s position in the Galra army is tentative and I highly doubt that they would hesitate to kill him.  I felt that keeping it a secret gave him a better chance at keeping the secret on his end, and a better chance to help me if I ever needed it.  With Matt, I think that came in handy.” Lance said.  He wasn't sure what Iverson would do.  He knew he wasn't his favorite soldier, far from it, and so he could do anything.  Iverson sighed.  

 

“I get it, McClain.  Now that I know, however, I expect updates on if he tells you any information.  Understand?”

 

Lance nodded, slightly shocked.  He didn't want to tell Iverson anything, what he and Keith talked about was between them, but it was less than what he was expecting.  

 

“Dismissed.”

 

Lance followed Hunk out of the room.  He didn’t realize he was breathing heavily until Hunk’s arm draped around his shoulder and hugged him tight.  

 

“Hey buddy, how are you feeling?  That went a little better than expected.” He said, and Lance laughed.

 

“We’ll I wasn't really expecting to find out that Keith freed Pidge’s captive brother.  But I guess, yeah, that went better.”  

 

“So when are you gonna write to him?”

 

“Am I that predictable?”

 

“I can read you like a book, Lance.”

 

Lance flushed.  He muttered that he was planning on writing to Keith when they got back to the room, and Hunk laughed.  Lance grinned.  In the years he had known Hunk, he had yet to find a sound that cheered him up faster than Hunk laughing.  It was tied with the rain, but it didn't rain much at the Garrison and so Hunk was at the top of his list.  When they reached their room, Hunk lifted him easily and tossed him over to his bed with another laugh, and Lance smiled widely as he grabbed his pen off his bedside table.  

 

_Keith I love you so fucking much_

 

“Gayyyyyyyyyyy.” Hunk said, startling Lance.  Lance punched him lightly on the shoulder.  

 

“Stop reading over my shoulder, asshole!”

 

Hunk relented and moved back to his side of the room.

 

_Like seriously_

_Holy shit_

 

**_I take it Matt got there okay?_ **

 

_I have never seen Pidge that happy_

_Im pretty sure they will die for you now_

 

**_That's not gonna be necessary_ **

**_Hey uh_ **

**_Is he okay?_ **

 

_Yeah?  A little banged up but he’s physically fine_

_Mentally who knows, hes been through a lot_

_Why?_

 

_**Well, uh, I was instructed to interrogate him** _

**_So I couldnt just give him the key and leave_ **

**_I had to make it somewhat believable_ **

 

_Oh_

_You had to hurt him_

 

_**I did the bare minimum but i still feel terrible** _

**_Im glad hes alright though_ **

 

_Hes fine Keith_

_Its okay_

_How are you? Does anyone suspect you?_

 

_**I don't think so?  Nobody has said anything to me but I’m gonna have to stay in the background for a while** _

**_Hopefully nothing happens_ **

 

_Yeah_

_Thank you so much_

 

**_i really wanted to help_ **

**_it made me feel better than anything i had ever felt after helping the galra_ **

 

_so are you like...a double agent now?_

 

**_uhh, i guess, sure_ **

**_i don't know how helpful ill be but yeah_ **

**_so did you mean it?_ **

 

_mean what?_

 

**_you love me?_ **

 

_one hundred percent_

_…_

_Keith?_

_you there?_

 

**_sorry sorry yeah_ **

**_i just_ **

**_Havent heard that in a long time_ **

 

_well then ill say it a lot more how about that_

_i love you_

 

Lance smiled as there was a silence. He was positive Keith was blushing and he was also positive it was adorable. He wished he was there to see it. It hurt him to know that Keith was beating himself up over having to hurt Matt, but he did what he had to do and Lance knew that Matt understood that.

 

**_I love you too_ **

 

“Lance you're blushing…..” Hunk sang, and Lance threw his pen across the room.

 

“You're lucky Pidge isn't here.”

 

“I know…” Lance groaned. “Don't tell them please.”

 

“They have their ways, I can’t promise anything.”

 

“Hunk!!”

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Keith had washed all the ink off, which regretfully included Lance’s small ‘ _i love you_ ’. They didn’t have much time to talk over the next few days, but everyday, without fail, Lance wrote him good morning.  He had always done that, but now it was accompanied by another ‘ _i love you_ ’, every morning.  It always made his heart beat faster when he looked at it. It was a little cheesy, but he hoped it would help him get through the days a little easier.

 

He was worried he would need the help today.  He had a mission briefing.  He wasn't sure what Sendak was planning, but there was no way it was good.  

 

As he walked to the briefing room, Lance’s words rang in his mind. This was his first mission since he freed Matt.  Could he really be a double agent?  If he could pull it off without being caught, it would make him feel better. He would be actually helping the side he now felt more allegiance to.

 

“Listen up, soldiers.” Sendak barked, Keith sitting up straighter in his chair. “This is not a mission briefing. None of you are getting missions today, there will be no recon or shipping jobs for any of you. This is an announcement. I expect you all in the hangar at 0300 sharp tomorrow morning, ready to fly. We’ve been ready for a while now and we have information about the security and defense mechanisms of the Garrison base, and after the...incident that happened a few nights ago I believe it's time. We attack tomorrow, catch them by surprise, and hopefully end this war, or at least make a dent in their forces.”

 

Keith's heart dropped. Of course. Now that he knows what side he wants to help, what side he is truly on, he’s expected to head into the fray and kill humans.  Not to mention, Lance would be there, fighting.  With no idea what plane Keith is in.  

 

“Take the day to prepare your ship, and be ready to fight tomorrow.   _Vrepit Sa!”_ He called, the echoing response from the soldiers ringing through the room.  Keith made a beeline back to his room, immediately collapsing on his bed, heart pounding. If he didn't fight, if he didn't _kill_ , his cover would be blown automatically. But how could he? The humans always wore armor that covered their face, so how could he make sure he wasn't hurting Lance?

 

The solution came to him. He had to tell Lance not to fight. He fumbled for the pen by his bed and scrawled a message.

 

**_i have some information_ **

**_but you need to tell Commander Iverson, which means you'll need to tell him about me_ **

 

It was a few minutes before Lance answered.

 

_Oh uh_

_he knows_

 

**_what? When did you tell him?_ **

 

_when matt came back, he told iverson about you and i was like ‘oh yeah he's trustworthy he's my soulmate’_

_what do you need me to tell him?_

 

**_Galra are attacking the garrison tomorrow morning_ **

**_You need to prepare, but make it look like they caught you by surprise so that they don't know theres a mole_ **

**_Theres a lot of soldiers coming, its not the small armies that have attacked before_ **

 

_Oh shit_

_Hold on_

 

* * *

 

Lance sprinted through the halls, almost knocking over about three different people in the process.  Indignant shouts of ‘ _Lance!!_ ” echoed after him as he skidded into Iverson’s office, slamming his hands down on the desk and panting heavily to catch his breath.  Iverson regarded him coolly.

 

“Officer McClain.  To what do I owe the….unexpected pleasure?” He said.  Lance stared him down.

 

“Galra are attacking.  Tomorrow, first thing in the morning.”

 

Immediately Iverson’s eyes widened, and he leaned forward.

 

“Did he say anything else?  How are they getting here?  Are there a lot of soldiers or a lot of planes?”

 

Lance shook his head.

 

“He just said that there’s a lot of soldiers, but he’s a pilot so that means that there are planes too.  But they're trying to surprise us, I guess they got information from those planes they kept...sending…” Lance trailed off, eyes falling to his arm.  Hold on a moment.  Keith was a pilot.  That day that Lance, Hunk, and Pidge went hiking, Keith had an assignment.  That same day, Lance saw that Galra plane overhead.  When the alarms stopped signaling the plane, Keith responded to Lance.  

           

Lance ignored the expectant look of Iverson and snatched a pen from his desk.

 

_What do you know about the garrison_

 

_**What?** _

 

_You were flying that plane that was watching the garrison about a couple weeks ago right?_

_Were you doing recon?_

 

_**Yes** _

**_How did you know i was there?_ **

**_Oh wait you were hiking_ **

**_You were on the fucking mountain of course you saw me_ **

**_That explains why I had people shooting at me_ **

**_Was I the real reason you had to head back_ **

 

_Yeah well whoops_

_And yes, it was because of your plane_

_Anyway_

_What do the galra know about the garrison_

 

_**They know the layout of it from my scans, pretty detailed too, and some of the guard schedules.  They also have basic knowledge of the security systems and defense mechanisms, but not enough to hack in and override them, just enough to know what to expect and avoid.  Its lucky matt didn't talk, if he said anything then the garrison would be an open book, he was the head of comms right?** _

 

_Yeah he was_

_Also, jesus fuck that's a lot of information_

_How long have you been doing recon?_

 

_**For a while.  Its my main job outside of actually fighting.** _

 

_Ok hold on again_

 

Lance looked up at Iverson and relayed what Keith had just said.  The Commander was silent.  

 

“We need to be ready, but we need to make them _think_ that they caught us by surprise.” Lance said.  

 

“Why do we need to do that?”

 

“Because otherwise the Galra will catch on to the fact that they have a mole in their midst and who do you think they’ll suspect?  The half-Galra that they already treat like shit.  We will lose the best asset we have right now.”  It physically hurt Lance to call Keith an ‘asset’, but it made Iverson nod with understanding.  

 

“Okay.  I’ll ready the troops and make a plan.  Thank you, McClain.  You’re dismissed.”

 

Lance left the office and made his way to the infirmary, where Pidge had been spending the nights (and most of the days too) with Matt.  He fiddled with the pen he had stolen from Iverson’s desk.  Wandering through the hallways, he tried to resist, but he gave in fairly quickly.  Damn his low impulse control.  

 

_Ok_

_I told him_

 

**_Good_ **

 

_Are you nervous?_

 

_**Yes** _

**_Are you?_ **

 

_Of course_

 

_**I don't want to hurt anyone lance** _

**_But i have to_ **

**_I have to hurt_ ** **humans _lance_**

 

_I know_

_You’ll be in a plane right?_

 

_**Yeah** _

****

_How well can you aim?_

 

_**Well, i wouldnt call myself a sharpshooter but im one of the best** _

 

_So can you aim for non-lethal areas?_

_Thatll give us a chance to get them off the battlefield_

 

_**Uh** _

**_Yeah i think i can do that_ **

 

_Good_

_Im worried too, i don't want to accidentally shoot you down_

 

_**It’ll be okay, it takes a lot to shoot me down** _

**_Theres a reason im the best_ **

 

_I know, i know_

_I don't want you to be on their side keith_

_**I don't want to be on their side anymore** _

**_For a while it was just apathy, i didn't care about either cause so I stayed with the one I grew up in, but now…_ **

**_I cant stay here lance_ **

 

_We’ll get you out of there, i promise_

 

_**Thanks** _

**_Hows matt and pidge?_ **

 

_barely spent a moment apart since he got here_

_I really cant thank you enough for risking that_

_I owe you, when you get here_

 

_**Ill hold you to that** _

 

_Im about to check on them now_

_Ill write you later_

 

_**Okay** _

 

* * *

 

Keith decided to head down to the hangar while he waited for Lance, maybe clean his ship.  He needed something to distract him.  He’s flown the same ship since he was bumped to fighter class, and his young twelve year old self lovingly named it Red. Keith didn't have the heart to change it after all these years.

 

“Hey Red.” He said as he hopped into the cockpit. “Need cleaning?”

 

It didn't, not really, but he cleaned it anyway, top to bottom.  Unfortunately, it didn't really do the job of distracting him, he had cleaned Red so much that it was muscle memory, he didn't need to think while doing it.  Which meant his mind was free to wander with what might happen tomorrow.  Any time a scenario ended with Lance dying, he jerked himself out of the daydream, putting more elbow grease into the spot he was cleaning.  Soon, though, Red was spotless, and he had nothing left to clean.

 

He didn't want to go back to his room, though, so he decided to take a walk.  Maybe wandering through the hallways would stop his mind from dreaming up the worst case scenarios it likes so much.  The hallways were practically silent, every soldier either in the hangar where Keith just left, or in their rooms.  It was peaceful.

 

Not for long.

 

“Keith!” A harsh whisper came from his right, and he was sharply turned into a small hallway. The wheels in his head were spinning, who the fuck?? No one called him Keith here. He turned to see an older Galra, one that looked familiar but Keith couldn't remember for the life of him. He looked frantically around.

 

“Keith, you need to listen to me.  Do you remember me?” He said, and Keith watched him incredulously.

 

“Uh, no.”

 

The Galra sighed.

 

“My name is Ulaz, I was a friend of your mother’s.” He paused while looking around again, then leaned closer, whispering directly in Keith's ear. “I am a member of the Blade of Marmora, a secret group of Galra working against Zarkon.”

 

“Like a rebellion?” Keith asked. He didn't believe it. “I don’t believe it.”

 

“Yes. We are very secretive, it isn’t a surprise that you don't remember anything.  It’s not like I saw you that often anyway.”

 

Keith frowned.

 

“What do you want?” He asked.  Ulaz glanced back out towards the entrance of the hallway.  

 

“I want to help you.”

 

“With what?  What do I need help with, and why you?”

 

“Sendak suspects you for freeing that prisoner the other day.  It was a risky move on your part, you are lucky that the only Galra the human ran into were Marmora members who stayed out of his way.”

 

“How do you know it was me?” Keith asked, getting defensive.

 

“You really are your mother’s son. You didn't go as unnoticed in that elevator as you thought. We had a member right behind you. Anyway, high ranking Marmora members have told us that Sendak and the other Commanders don't see a reason to keep you around much longer.  Your mother told me you had a human soulmate, correct?”

 

“...Yes?” Keith hesitated. Was he surprised at all that the higher ups were contemplating getting rid of him? Not at all.

 

“We can help you get out of the base, you need to go to them. It won't be safe here for you much longer.”

 

“How do I know I can trust you and this...Marmora?” Keith asked. He really wanted to trust him, getting out of the base was his dream come true, but he really didn't remember Ulaz.  He could be lying about everything.  Ulaz smiled lightly.

 

“Obviously I can’t make you trust us.  However, you are not the only Galra to free a human prisoner. I know you ran into him, about a year ago. I freed him from the Druids. It's the reason I was reassigned to the engineering department. They couldn't prove I was involved but they punished me for it. For you, punishment would be death, or worse.  Nobody deserves that for simply trying to save a life.  I want to help you, if you’ll let me.”

 

“Okay.” Keith relented. He would hear out their plan. After all, worst case scenario he dies, but if he stayed in the Galra forever he would definitely die.  At least he’d be trying to escape.  “How would you get me out?”

 

“After the battle tomorrow, it's too hectic now to get you out, we would give you mission documents and all the devices needed to rig your ship and health tracking devices to fake your death. No one here will suspect anything.  From there, you can find your soulmate.”

 

Keith had to admit, he had thought of faking his death too, and it would be nice to have equipment to help. It would make it a lot less dangerous than the scenarios he had imagined.  He leaned against the wall.

 

“Okay. Thank you.”

 

“There is no need to thank us.  You don’t deserve the fate that they want for you.  I'll find you after the battle.” With that, Ulaz smiled at Keith and left the hallway. Keith watched, partly in shock, partly in anticipation.

 

Would he really get to see Lance?

 

* * *

 

“Hey Pidge, Matt, how are you doing?” Lance called, walking into the infirmary. Pidge glanced up, smiling widely. Matt waved. The first thing Lance noticed was that Matt’s hair was shorter, cut to the same style as Pidge's. He wondered who copied who.

 

“Still a little banged up, but doing a lot better.” Matt said.  Lance walked over and sat on the bed next to Pidge.  They saw his face, and their smile faltered.  

 

“Lance?  What’s wrong?”

 

Lance wasn't sure whether saying this in front of Matt was a good idea, but he probably wouldn't want to be coddled, Pidge certainly wouldn't.  

 

“There’s going to be an attack tomorrow.  First thing in the morning, and a pretty big one by the sound of it.”

 

Their face hardened.  

 

“It’s a good thing we have an early warning system.” They said, nodding at Lance’s arm. “Is Keith gonna be fighting?”

 

Lance paled slightly.

 

“Yeah.”

 

Pidge put their hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly.  

 

“It’ll be okay, Lance.”

 

They were all silent for a moment, before Matt spoke.

 

“So, I didn't talk to him much, but Keith seemed like a good guy.”

 

Lance smiled, and Pidge snickered.

 

“Ok, I’m gonna leave you two alone now.  I’m starving, so if you need me I’ll be bribing the cafeteria ladies for the good stuff.” They said, hopping off the bed and walking out of the infirmary.  Lance waited a moment before asking his question.

 

“What is he like?” He asked, and Matt looked confused for a second.  

 

“You’ve talked to him, haven't you?” He said.

 

“Writing to someone is different than talking face to face.”

 

“That's true.  I mean, I didn’t get to talk that much with him.  But from what he did say, he seems….strong.  He came up with a plan to help me get out of there, seemingly on the fly too since I’m assuming he had just found out he was interrogating me, and it worked.  He was closed off, but I get that since he only knew me by my name.  He was nice, too.  He apologized for having to hurt me, and I could tell he really didn't want to.” Matt said, and Lance clutched his arm closer to his chest.  He already knew the things Matt had told him, and more, he knew Keith was strong, smart, kind, impulsive, trustworthy, and loyal.  But hearing it come from someone else helped.  Lance looked back up at Matt.  He noticed the bags under his eyes, and how, now that Pidge was gone, his smile was a little sad.

 

“Are you really okay?”

 

The question caught Matt off guard.  

 

“Of course!  I’m back, why wouldn't I be?” He said, but Lance knew firsthand what it looked like when someone was faking being okay.  

 

“I get not wanting to worry Pidge, but it doesn't seem to me like you’re really as good as you say you are. You can talk to me, if you want.” He said, and Matt’s face fell a little.  He looked out at the door where Pidge had left, and sighed.

 

“Everything’s changed.” He said. “Look at Pidge, they’ve grown up so much while I was gone.  They’ve been in battle, in a _war_ , and they're only 14.  When I was 14, I was still in school, fucking around with my friends and teaching myself how to hack the school’s systems.  Shiro is Lieutenant Commander now, he’s found his soulmate and they’re really happy together.  I missed all of that.  I missed my little sibling growing up faster than they should, I missed my best friend finding the love of his life.  I can’t make up that time.”  His voice was soft, and Lance’s first instinct was to hug him.  So he did.  Matt was surprised, but hugged back.  Lance pulled away and stared Matt in the eyes.

 

“Listen.  I know you missed a lot, but I should tell you that in the two years I’ve known Pidge, I have _never_ seen them this happy.  They missed you so much, and they are so happy to have you back.  They don't care that you missed them growing up, they’re still only 14.  They still have a lot more growing up to do, and this time you’ll be there for it.  And Shiro?  Sure you can make that up.  You only missed a year with him, but he went through a lot too.  You can help each other.  It's not like you’re gonna drift apart just because he met his soulmate while you were gone.  Sure, things changed.  But you’ve changed too, and not all change is bad.” Lance said.  Matt was silent for a minute, before he chuckled softly.

 

“You know, no offense but out of you and your friend Hunk, I would’ve expected him to be the one with all the advice.  You don’t seem the type.”

 

“I’m not insulted because I would agree with you.  However, I’m an older brother too, so I get the whole ‘missing your sibling’s lives’ thing.  I don’t really get to go home much.”

 

They sat there, in silence, until Pidge wandered back in with a plate piled high with fried chicken.  Lance noticed Matt straighten a little, and his smile finally reached his eyes again.

 

“So, Matt, what’s the consensus.  How fucking _gay_ is this asshole right here.” They waved a chicken leg at Lance, mouth full of food.  Matt laughed.  

 

“Pretty fucking gay.” he said, and Lance rolled his eyes.  

 

“When will you stop torturing me? I can’t even make fun of you in return it's not fair.”

 

Pidge grinned widely.  They didn't have a soulmate, never really wanted one, and they had told Lance and Hunk that Matt didn't either.

 

“Why do you think I make fun of you? You have no soulmate related material to get me back with, and now that Matt’s in on it too you can’t make fun of either of us.  It’s the perfect plan.”

 

“You really are a gremlin.”

 

“I know.”

 

At that moment the intercom buzzed and Commander Iverson’s voice echoed through the hallways calling every available soldier to the meeting hall.  Lance sighed.  He was _bonding_ goddamn it, why now?  But he and Pidge regretfully stood up and left the infirmary with a wave goodbye to Matt.

 

They found Hunk saving seats for them in the meeting hall and sat down right as Iverson began speaking.  

 

“Listen up, soldiers.  We have on good authority that there will be a surprise Galra attack early tomorrow morning and we need to be ready.  Everyone already knows their stations, so I expect you all in bed early this afternoon and up before midnight.  However, we need to make the Galra believe that they have caught us off guard, and so when they get here we will all be inside.  We will wait, and then attack.  Any questions?”

 

A hand raised up front, saying, “So do we have a spy?”

 

Iverson hesitated, before answering yes. Lance felt his heart flutter.  That was Keith.  Keith was a mole right in Galra territory, switching sides to be with Lance.  It scared him, but he was so, so proud too.

 

“You are dismissed, be ready.”

 

* * *

 

Keith was meditating in his room when he felt Lance start to write.  

 

_So_

_The garrison is ready_

_Are you?_

 

**_No_ **

 

_Can i say #relatable?_

 

**_Nerd_ **

 

_Excuse you i am not a nerd i am a meme_

 

**_Oh wow, sorry i offended you Sir Meme_ **

 

_You are forgiven_

_Im not ready either though_

_I don't want to hurt you_

 

**_I don't want to hurt you either_ **

**_but if im being honest here, i would rather you shoot me down than a random soldier_ **

 

_Ok 1) that's oddly and scarily romantic_

_2) i still don't want to shoot you down_

 

**_i mean, i don't want to be shot down_ **

**_but if i had to be then i'd want it to be you_ **

**_Oh, guess what happened today_ **

 

_You know im not gonna be able to do that_

 

Keith grinned.

 

**_Yeah_ **

**_You cant_ **

**_I found a galra that will help me escape_ **

 

_What???_

_How? Who? What?_

 

**_That was me too_ **

**_Apparently theres a rebellion happening in the empire, a group of galra called the blade of marmora_ **

**_This guy was a member_ **

 

_Really?_

_There are other galra that don't want to follow zarkon?_

 

**_Yeah_ **

**_His name was ulaz_ **

**_And he said that after the battle tomorrow he’ll help me fake my death_ **

**_And i can come find you_ **

 

_Wow_

_Is this really happening?_

_I cant wait_

 

**_Me neither_ **

 

_But, now that im thinking about it_

_I don't want your escape to hinge on a galra that you just met_

 

**_Well, he seems trustworthy_ **

**_he said he was a friend of my moms and he’s also helped a human escape the prison_ **

 

_Ok maybe, yes_

_And you can write this idea off if you want to_

_But i think we should make our own plan_

 

**_Ok_ **

 

_What? No ‘we already have a plan’ mr. follow my gut constantly?_

_You always tell me that you rarely have_ a _plan, much less two_

 

**_Yeah that's true_ **

**_But for something this important i think a plan b is necessary_ **

**_I think I should still fake my death, itll be the easiest way for them write me off as gone forever_ **

**_But its because im shot out of the sky instead of a system failure or whatever ulaz had planned_ **

**_That's also a little more ‘final’, less chance of them searching for me_ **

**_Although i could probably just go missing and they would be too happy im gone to care_ **

 

_You mean_

_You want me to shoot you out of the sky_

 

**_Well best case scenario this wont happen_ **

**_But how else can I fake my death? You said so yourself you’re a sniper right?_ **

 

_Yeah, the best_

 

**_So you should know where to shoot to bring my plane down but not explode it_ **

 

_That's...actually a good plan_

 

**_No need to sound so surprised_ **

 

_Ok, but how will i know if you need me to do that?_

 

**_We need a code name_ **

 

_Something easy to write in case you don't have much time_

 

**_I love you_ **

 

_But what if you just want to say that you love me?_

 

**_Then ill put your name at the end of it_ **

 

_Ok_

_So if you write ‘i love you’ then ill know you need me to shoot you down_

_But how will I know what plane?_

 

**_If im in a situation that needs this plan_ **

**_Ill probably be the only ship around, otherwise the other pilots will see that I didn't die in the crash_ **

**_I’ll have to tamper with the vital trackers on my flight suit anyway, so if the pilots see me getting out of the plane, they’ll know im not dead_ **

 

_That's true_

_I hope i don't need to do that_

 

**_Me too_ **

**_You should sleep, you need your rest for tomorrow_ **

 

_You too_

_Be careful, Keith_

 

**_You be careful too_ **

**_I love you, Lance_ **

 

_I love you too, Keith_

 

Keith put down his pen.  That felt like a goodbye.  He wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Lance, not when he’s never gotten to see him in person, to hug him, to thank him for being there.  He was going to get out of this.  He didn't bother washing the ink off, his flight suit would cover it, and so he rolled over and fell asleep.

 

At 0400 sharp, Keith was already in the air, flying fast in formation towards the Garrison.  He wasn't ready, not in the slightest, but he was ready for it to be over, to be free of the Galra and to finally be with Lance.  He had even packed his plane already, just in case he got a chance to ‘die’ during the battle. He had his father’s jacket underneath the main control console, and his mother’s knife hidden away.  His helmet was chattering with other Galra, orders flying as fast as the planes.  The Garrison was in sight now.  Keith held his breath.  The first shot was fired.  

 

They fired on the building’s defense turrets, taking them out as they automatically shot back, popping up from their hidden spots on the roof. Alarms began blaring. The Galra ground fighters closed in around the Garrison. Only minutes later, human soldiers flooded out, guns blazing and blades flashing. It was a bloodbath, neither side held back. Keith grit his teeth and shot, hitting human after human in the shoulders and legs. It felt like he was hurting Lance, every time, even though he doubted Lance would be in the fray. What if there was a last minute change, what if he was sent out with the fighters?

 

Keith shook his head, clearing it. He told himself that even if Lance was one of the ground soldiers, Keith wasn't killing any of them. He looked around. Bodies, human and Galra, already littered the ground, blood covering armor of both sides. It was impossible to tell which side was winning.

 

A wall on the side of the Garrison opened, and fighter planes flew out, engaging the Galra jets. Keith cursed. How was he supposed to non-fatally bring down these planes?  He shot off wings, watching the planes spiral to the ground and the pilots ejecting out. Some crashed, and Keith winced every time. He should be used to this, he _was_ used to this, but it still hurt.

 

After he had been fighting for a good hour, a shot hit his wing, jerking Red to the side. He cursed, he had gotten distracted. Looking for the source of the shot, he found a few soldiers on the roof, some shooting planes and others picking off the ground soldiers. Snipers. _Lance._ He avoided shot after shot, realizing with a sinking gut that if he didn't shoot back he would eventually be hit again. And maybe in a more detrimental spot than a wing.

 

He took a deep breath, aiming at the right shoulder of the one shooting at him and praying to any god out there that it wasn't Lance. The sniper raised their gun higher, against their helmet. Keith pressed the trigger. The sniper shifted, standing up slightly.

 

Keith felt his heart jolt as the sniper was hit square on their side, to the right of where their stomach was. They fell backwards, the soldier next to them immediately crouching down. Keith grit his teeth and turned his plane around, trying to ignore the images of that sniper that kept popping up in his mind.

 

The fight only lasted another half hour, before Sendak angrily called a retreat. Keith fought back a grin. He turned his plane around, catching a final glimpse of a soldier, lying on the roof, gun in hand and blood on their armor, pressing their other hand to a wound on their side. Any humor Keith felt was gone. He flew in silence.

 

“Kogane, meet me on the ground.” Sendak’s voice came through his helmet, and Keith landed reluctantly. His heart beat faster, was this about not killing anyone this battle?  Sendak landed next to him.  They met in between their planes, Sendak carrying a large box.   

 

“Kogane.” Sendak said again. Keith’s blood began to boil. He was sick and tired of never being called Officer, never being respected. He didn't care about their respect now, but it still pissed him off.

 

“Sir?”

 

“I have a special mission for you. It is of the utmost importance. Are you willing?” That wasn't really a question. If he said no then they would either kill him or make him. Keith nodded. Sendak smiled, something that sent a chill down Keith’s spine.

 

“In this box is a bomb.  We were close today, and one massive hit could help us win the war.  You will fly this back to the Garrison Base, prime it, and fly into the base.”  He paused, letting it sink in.  They were sending Keith on a suicide mission.  This was it, this was their plan to finally get rid of him once and for all.  Did Ulaz know about this?  He couldn't have, which means they must have found out which high ranking officers were a part of the Blade of Marmora.  That was a problem for them though, Keith had a bigger worry right now.  He stared Sendak in the eye.  

 

“Of course, if you complete this mission, you will be remembered,” Sendak continued, face contorting almost imperceptibly in disgust, “as a hero.”

 

Bull _shit_.  Was Keith supposed to believe they wouldn't just wipe their hands of him, erase any evidence that he ever existed?  He could use this though, along with his backup plan with Lance.  Keith swallowed his own disgust and accepted the mission.  Sendak handed him the box and the switch that primed it.  Then he walked back to his own ship.  

 

Keith didn't miss the wicked grin on his face as he closed the door to the cockpit.  

 

He walked back to Red, placing the bomb in the back of the cockpit.  He sat down, trailing his hands over the controls, regretfully realizing that while he may make it out of this, Red certainly wouldn't.  Then he pulled the knife out of its hidden compartment he had built and ripped open a hole on the arm of his flight suit.  A pen was hidden in the same compartment, just for emergencies like this.  He hoped Lance was ready.

 

* * *

 

Lance was still on the roof.  Hunk was next to him, trying his damndest to get Lance to go inside, but Lance was adamant about staying.  He could feel something was off, something was wrong.  His wound was throbbing, still bleeding as he pressed his hand on it harder.  He was so sure that ship wouldn't shoot him, don’t ask him why, and so he stood up like an idiot.  Which then led him to realize that if he didn't stand up, the shot would have hit him in the shoulder.  There’s only one Galra that wouldn’t aim to kill, as far as he knew.  He had been so close to shooting Keith out of the sky, and that terrified him.  

 

Then, he felt the familiar feeling of writing on his arm.  His heart plummeted.  Taking a hand off his wound, he hastily ripped off his glove, then the arm piece of his armor, rolling up his sleeve with bloodied hands.  Hunk sighed.  Lance looked at the words on his arm, obviously scrawled with little time to spare.  

 

**_I love you_ **

 

Lance grit his teeth and grabbed his gun, raising himself to his knees despite the pain in his stomach.  Hunk put a hand on his shoulder, about to ask what was wrong, when he saw the writing for himself.  Lance had told both Hunk and Pidge about their backup plan, and so he knew that Hunk understood.  Then Hunk took the gun from his hands.

 

“Hunk what are you doing?” Lance protested, grabbing for his gun, but too weak to stand.  

 

“You’re in no state to aim well, Lance, you might do more harm than good like this.”

 

“So, what, I just don't help him?”

 

“Of course not, I’ll do it.  I may not be the self-proclaimed ‘sharpshooter’, but I know where to shoot just as well as you.”  Hunk said, staring at Lance incredulously.  Lance hesitated, but he knew Hunk was right.  He was shaky and his hands were slick with blood.  He could easily mis-aim.  He sat back down on the roof.  Hunk suddenly stood up, alert.

 

“There.  There’s a ship in the distance.”  He said.  Lance watched longingly as it got closer, wishing he could see through the glass into the cockpit.  Hunk raised Lance’s gun to his shoulder, took a breath, and fired.

 

* * *

 

Keith flew closer to the Garrison, constantly aware of the bomb behind him.  He was supposed to prime it now so that the impact with the Garrison would set it off, but obviously he wasn’t going to do that.  He had a plan, and he was hoping and praying he could pull it off.  He saw two figures on the roof, one with a gun in their hands.  Was that Lance?  Wait...no.  No, no, no.  Keith felt his blood run cold as the cockpit screens zoomed in and he saw the soldier he had shot still lying there, hand still on their wound.  Their armor was off of one arm.  Keith could only think of one reason they would do that, and that was if...they were Lance.  Keith had shot Lance in the side.  The one person he hadn't wanted to hurt was the one he caused to bleed heavily on the damn roof.  He gripped his controls harder as the larger one with the gun (probably Hunk?) raised it to look through the sights.  A split second of doubt shot through him as he wondered if he was about to actually get shot down. A shot hit his left wing, far from any vital machinery.  Reaffirmed that this was all according to plan, he started shouting into his comms, doubting anyone was listening but just in case, so that they didn't suspect anything.  Sure, they were expecting him to die, but if they saw that the Garrison didn't have a large hole in it then they might get suspicious.  

 

Hunk kept shooting, slowly making Keith drop in altitude.  A shot then hit right in the center, hitting the engine and making Keith spiral to the ground.  The lower height caused less of a crash, but his head still hit the controls.  He felt blood trickling down his forehead, but he kept talking into his helmet.  He opened the cockpit, priming the bomb so that when he shot it, it would explode.  He grabbed his knife and jacket in one hand and left the bomb switch in the pilot's chair.  As he started to crawl out of Red, he saw two figures approaching slowly, one leaning heavily on the other.  

 

He got a safe distance away, still talking as if he were in the ship, describing the ‘dozens’ of humans that were coming at him fully armed.  He switched to the Galra language, following the protocol that was made so humans couldn't understand him.  As Lance and who he was assuming was Hunk got closer, he grit his teeth and pulled his gun from the holster on his side. Aiming it at the bomb, he put his other hand on the tracker by his heart.  

 

He decided to up the drama, just a bit, for anyone that may be listening to his comms.

 

“ _Vrepit Sa._ ” He growled. He hated that saying, it was a reminder of the things he had done in the name of the Galra Empire, but to the Galra they would be the perfect ‘last words’.

 

He pulled the trigger, simultaneously ripping the tracker off and throwing it towards the impending explosion, watching as Red went up in a fireball.  He threw his helmet in too for good measure, his ears twitching as they were freed.  Heat rolled over him like a wave, a piece of shrapnel flying toward him and slicing into his cheek. He could hear better now, thanks to not having the helmet on, and although his ears were ringing from the blast, he heard footsteps coming towards him.  He smiled, even though Red was still burning.  He was officially dead to the Galra.  He didn't care that they would probably be celebrating right now, he was too happy.  

 

Lance and Hunk grew closer, close enough that he could see them well.  Lance pushed himself off of Hunk, stumbling forward despite the wound on his side.  Both Lance and Keith were smiling widely.  Lance held out a hand to Keith.

 

As he took it, he noticed three things.

 

The sun had never been brighter.

 

The sky had never been clearer.

 

And Lance was absolutely, undeniably gorgeous.  

 

Lance pulled him up and into a tight, warm hug, but lost his balance and toppled backwards.  They both laughed, too ecstatic and in love to care.  Keith buried his smile into Lance’s neck, and Lance whispered in Keith’s ear, his hand moving to the back of Keith’s head.

 

“Welcome home.”

**Author's Note:**

> so this was just part one, but part two is not done yet and i don't know when it will be done. i have a bunch of shit going on so i dont know when ill have time to write it (man i love AP tests am i right) but i will try my hardest to finish it soon. I hope you guys liked it, these boys are gonna kill me.
> 
> Find me on tumblr: @rorzeebubbles  
> or my writing blog for fic updates: @rorzee-ebubbles


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